Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email
Over 50 ways to save, incl... Top joint accounts, cheap drugs, beat 20% car insurance rises, 5 cinema tix £25, 31mth 0%, Martin's energy briefs, £4 off Sainsbury's, 90% off Boots, Mother's Day gifts, 2for1 Alton Towers
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Car insurance costs likely to rocket by 20% (or more) Want to know what'll happen to car insurance costs...? Look at Monday's Financial Times on Direct Line's corporate results: "It swung from a £446m net profit in 2021 to a £45m loss in 2022 as the cost of motor insurance claims spiralled because of rising parts and labour costs." When insurers are hit hard by claim costs, the likelihood is our policy prices will rise. The Association of British Insurers has confirmed costs are already up 8% on average, and big insurers Admiral and Aviva have hiked average premiums by 20% or more. So EVERYONE (even if not at renewal) should check now if they can save - as if you can, you lock in today's premium, forestalling rises for a year. Full help in Cheap car insurance, but in brief...
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Got an old mobile handset? You may soon lose internet access. Networks are starting to switch off 3G signals - check if your handset is affected and what you need to do about it. See 3G switch-off. Shift credit card debt to 31 months at 0%. A balance transfer's where you get a new card that pays off old cards for you, so you owe it instead, but at 0% interest. MBNA's up to 31 months 0% (3.49% fee)* is now the longest 0% deal, though NatWest's 30 months 0% (2.99% fee)* has both a lower fee and with it, if you're accepted you'll definitely get the full 0% period (with MBNA some get 14 months). Check if you'll be accepted: Our 0% Eligibility Calculator shows your personal chances of being accepted for most top cards. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum, and clear the card before the 0% period ends, or MBNA's rep APR is 22.9%, NatWest's is 23.9%. Full help in Top balance transfers. Boots up to 90% off clearance, such as £20 Soap & Glory set £2 - can you find a bargain? It's boosted its sale, but from what we've seen stock is very limited. Boots sale. Related: Boots to cut Advantage points earned on spending. Want to watch the Budget with Martin & MSE? (12.30pm Wed) Follow Martin's live Twitter analysis and then hit MSE News as we explain in detail what it means for you. Are your savings safe? Big news this week after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, affecting its UK arm too. The Government arranged for HSBC to take over all these business accounts. Find out the protection on your savings. £37 Ted Baker prescription specs or sunglasses (normally £135). MSE Blagged. Via code. SpeckyFourEyes An unpleasant but important watch. ITV, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Tue 8pm. Over to Martin: "Yes this week I want to tackle the issues people rarely want to talk about - how to mitigate the financial impact of the three D's: death, divorce, dementia. It sounds unpleasant but the real unpleasantness comes if we ignore it. I'll be talking wills (including how to get them free), Power of Attorney, managing finances in relationships, funeral plans, equity release and more. An important watch for anyone, even under-30s, so do join me or at least set your VideoPlus to record." |
10 ways to cut the cost of drugs Prescription costs (Eng) to rise in April, but many are massively overpaying for medication On Friday, we learned that NHS prescription costs in England are going up by 30p to £9.65 an item from 1 April: yet another price rise to contend with this spring. Yet there are smart ways to keep the cost of your medications low - detailed help is in Cheap & free prescriptions, but here's a quick check-up of what you need to know first.
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ISA warning for you... use it or lose it, plus boost your pension. This and more in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify and more. 5 Odeon cinema tickets £25. For screenings any day up to 30 March - you needn't use all tickets in one go. See this deal and others for Cineworld, Vue and more in 23 cinema savers. Last-minute Mother's Day prezzies, including FREE gift cheques & in-store flowers from £1. It's this Sunday, but you don't have to spend a lot (or at all) to treat mum for Mother's Day. 'Thank you, I'm getting £2,200/month in benefits I didn't know I was eligible for - it's life changing.' Our success of the week is from Jill, whose life changed after she did our 10-minute benefits check. She emailed: "I saw your article about checking if you can claim benefits. I didn't think I would qualify due to my income, but I checked anyway. We were entitled to £2,200 a month. I'm a parent of two primary-age children with severe disabilities, and this has been life changing. I'm able to work fewer hours and give my children the support they desperately need. Family life now is completely different from how it was a year ago and we have MSE to thank for that." If we've helped you claim or save money (on this, or anything else), please send us your MoneySaving successes. 2for1 Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Sea Life and more via £1 to £4 cereal & snacks. Get the voucher on special packs for a free adult ticket with any full-price ticket, including kid's tickets. See 2for1 Merlin attractions. |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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THIS WEEK'S POLL How much do you pay into your pension? According to new data, 12.5 million people are not saving enough into their pensions to maintain their current standard of living when they retire. And with reports of big changes coming to how much you can put in, we want to know, how much do you pay into your pension? Hurrah! Most MoneySavers do have a will. Last week we asked if you have a will, and if not, why not. Of the 4,600 people who voted, 60% said they have one - although of those, around a quarter admitted theirs isn't up to date. There is a big age divide, with the majority of under-50s not having one, while most aged 50+ do. Of those without one, "not getting round to it" was the most common reason why. See full will poll results (and for help on getting one, see our Cheap wills guide). |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should we ask the bride and groom for help towards the cost of attending their overseas wedding? My wife agreed to be her friend's maid of honour, but the bride has since divulged that the wedding will be in Cyprus. It will cost more than £2,000 to attend, and mutual friends have declined invites because of this, so we won't know anyone else there. Given the bride was my wife's maid of honour, and we got married locally and paid for as much as we could at the time, should we ask the bride and groom to make a contribution towards our costs? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we ask the bride and groom for help towards our costs? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma |
MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 15 MAR ONWARDS) Wed 15 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 2.15pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 21 Mar - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am |
NORDPAK SPREAD & SEAL BARS... WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE DUPES? That's all for this week, but before we go... MoneySavers of the MSE Forum have been discussing their favourite 'dupes' (cheaper versions of branded products - see our Downshift Challenge). There's praise for Aldi: apparently it does a soup that rivals the more expensive Heinz, ready-made pastry rated as good as Jus-Rol, and Nordpak spread as an acceptable, cheaper version of Lurpak. Morrisons' Fine Green Ginger Wine got a mention as a decent alternative to Crabbie's, as did Lidl's Gelatelli ice cream as a Magnum dupe, while Aldi's Seal Bar, its Penguin-equivalent, splits opinion. For more examples and to add yours, join the Best dupe you've tried? MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, |
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